SHIPPING—OVERSEAS AND COASTAL LINES

The Union Steam Ship Co.

The Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand, founded at
Dunedin in 1875, began in a small way in the coastal trade
but quickly extended its services overseas. It entered the
cargo and passenger trade between New Zealand and Australia
in 1876 and in 1881 began trading to the South Pacific
Islands. Seven years later it started a direct service to
Calcutta and eastern ports. It re-entered the mail and
passenger service to San Francisco in 1910 and maintained it
until 1936. In 1901 the company bought a share in the
Canadian Australasian Line, of which it subsequently became
the sole proprietor. This service – Australia and New Zealand
to Vancouver – wound up soon after the Second World War. The
Union Co. ended its passenger service to Sydney at the close
of 1960, leaving the Huddart Parker Co. to carry on, the
latter having been in the intercolonial passenger service
since 1892. The nightly service between Wellington and
Lyttelton is maintained by the express steamers
Maori and Hinemoa, but the aged
Tamahine has been replaced in the Wellington-Picton
service by the New Zealand Railways' new train-ferry ship
Aramoana which in early 1966 will be joined by the
Aranui. The Union Co. is still expanding its large
fleet of cargo vessels, and is adding another steamer for the
Wellington – Lyttelton express service. This is the
Wahine, a roll-on, roll-off vehicular ferry which
revives the name of a former passenger vessel in the
service.

Browse the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

How to cite this page: . 'The Union Steam Ship Co.', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 22-Apr-09URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/shipping-overseas-and-coastal-lines/page-9